Rifleman Vijay Rai was killed by a gunshot wound when the checkpoint that he and his team were protecting in the Nahr-e Saraj district of Helmand province in Afghanistan came under insurgent small arms fire.
He was born in Bhojpur District, Deaurali, in the East of Nepal on 5 August 1990. The youngest of five, Vijay Rai studied in Sidhakali Boarding School in Bhojpur until the age of 12 when he transferred to Himshikhar English School in Tarahar.
After completing his education at Kasturi College, Itahari, he decided his future lay in continuing his proud family history of military service. After passing the gruelling and infamous Gurkha Selection, he was enlisted into the British Army on 21 December 2008 at the age of 18 years. He completed his basic training at the Infantry Training Centre at Catterick, North Yorkshire in September 2009 before being posted to 2nd Battalion The Royal Gurkha Rifles.
Rifleman Vijay Rai soon established himself as one of the leading lights within 2 Platoon, A (Amboor) Company. After a number of demanding jungle exercises it soon became apparent that this was a young man who epitomised the very finest qualities of a Gurkha Rifleman.
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